Footwear with method and device for its manufacture

ABSTRACT

The invention refers to the manufacture of shoes with uppers lasted by pulling a string secured to the lasting margin of the upper. Improvements are presented which reduce costs of manufacture especially if the sole is molded directly to the upper. The method of manufacture includes use of a last deformed to obtain preselected location of the lasting margin and to prevent the formation of undesirable spew.

United States Patent Auberry et a1.

[54] FOOTWEAR WITH METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ITS MANUFACTURE [72] Inventors: Horace R. Auberry; Anton Liebscher, both of Waynesville, NC.

[151 3,659,301 1 May 2,1972

De Coursey et al.. Mahler Dunker ..l2/133 R UX Primary Examiner-Alfred R. Guest Attorney-Dos T. Hatfield [5 7] ABSTRACT The invention refers to the manufacture of shoes with uppers lasted by pulling a string secured to the lasting margin of the upper. Improvements are presented which reduce costs of manufacture especially if the sole is molded directly to the upper. The method of manufacture includes use of a last deformed to obtain preselected location of the lasting margin and to prevent the formation of undesirable spew.

1 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures Whiting et a1. ..12/l33 R X Y FOOTWEAR WITH METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ITS MANUFACTURE KNOWN ART PREFERRED EMBODIMENT According to the invention the lasting string is secured to the lasting margin of the upper together with a welt strip, preferably by a single stitching. The upper is then placed upon a last with stops on the sole surface of said last, which might be a row of pins. The lasting string is then tightened until it and the lasting margin abuts the pins. This eliminates the need for skilled workers and assures that no overlasting occurs. If a sole comprising elastomeric material is to be molded directly to the upper, it is preferred to provide a continuous rim insideof the feather edge of the last, which then not only serves as a stop to prevent overlasting, but also as a sealing wall to prevent the escape of elastomeric material into the interior of the shoe. After demolding of the shoe from the last the open groove in the sole can be filled. It is further preserred to create the rim by providing in the last a retractable sole plate, which projects inwardly of the feather edge of the last into the sole space. After molding the sole shell, the sole plate of the last might be retracted without removing the last from the mold so as to permit the formation of a porous pillow inside of the sole. Such retractable plate might be at least partially replaced by a membrane.

The use of an inside stop for the lasting margin allows the use of a completely prefinished welt, be it leather, rubber, etc. which in the mold will be touching the sidewall of the mold. The spacing between the stop for the inner edge of the welt and the sidewall so the mold can be selected to fit exactly the deminsion of the prefinished welt. No elastomeric material, be it rubber or other elastomeric substance will penetrate between the outside of the welt and the mold wall and there will be no need for buffing or other finishing of the sole edge.

The deformation of the last for sealing purposes is useful not only for the prevention of spew on the inside of the sole, but can be provided also for the outside of the shoe. For this purpose the invention provides a slight projection outwardly on the outside of the last above the feather edge thereof. The lip of the sidewall of the mold is arranged slightly above said projection so that the material of the upper is squeezed between said lip and said projection. By allowing the last a slight movement in relation to the lip in the direction away (vertically) from the shoe sole, the sealing pressure which heretofor was excerted essentially hortizonaly (parallel to the sole surface) is then according to the invention essentially in a vertical direction.

The projection might also be created by providing a recess in the last. After a removing of the finished shoe from the last the resilency of the upper will straighten the curveature existing in the upper and no inconvenience will be experienced by the wearer of the shoe. This arrangement is useful for shoes with high foxing such as basketball shoes.

The drawing shows in FIG. 1 a cross section of a shoe according to the invention,

- while in the mold used for molding of a sole of a elasmatic material.

FIG. 2 shows also in high foxing.

FIGII shows the upper l on the last 2. At the lasting margin of the upper a preferably prefinished welt 3 and a string 4 are fastened by a stitching 5. The mold last has a recess 6 into which a last sole plate 7 can be withdrawn. The sidewalls 8 of the mold cavity with the lip 9 closes as usual by a sideways movement (paralled to the sole surface). A bottom plate 10 is used to mold the outer sole shell. After the outer sole is formed the last sole plate 7 is withdrawn into the recess 6 so that the rubber mix at the inner part of the sole can expand and form a pillow. The edge 12 of the last sole plate before it is withdrawn serves during lasting as a stop for the inner edge of the lasting margin and prevents any overlasting and destortion of the upper. In some cases it might prefered to provide a fixed last sole plate or to provide a rim only or pins, to serve as stop for the inner edge of said lasting margin to prevent the forementioned overlasting.

As shown the spacing between the stop 12 and the inner wall of the side from 8 can be selected to correspond exactly to the width of prefinished welting thereby assuring that no sole material will penetrate between the mold sidewall and the welt. No bufiing or other finishing of the sole edge will then be needed.

FIG. 2 shows a similar arrangement with a last which has not only a deformation on its sole surface to act as stop and sealing surface, but also is deformed on the outside corresponding to the upper edge of the desired foxing. Here the deformation is a recess 14 covered by the upper 1. When the lip plate 9 with the sidewall 8 is moved sideways (horizontaly) it pushes the upper material into the recess. The last 2 is permited a slight movement away from the sole so that the sealing pressure between the lip plate 9 and the material of the upper is excerted essentially in vertically direction. Sufiicient sealing is then obtained with little pressure and correspondingly without damage to the material of the upper. After removal of the shoe from the mold the upper retumes to its normal position as shown at 15 in dotted lines.

What we claim is:

l. A mold last for carrying a shoe upper while molding a sole of elastomeric material directly to the bottom margin of said upper, said last having an open groove formed in its peripheral side surface for receiving a deformation of an upper therein, said groove being located above the plane of the sole surface of the last and along a line corresponding with the upper edge of the junction of the elastomeric material with the upper placed upon the last.

a cross section a mold for shoes with a 

1. A mold last for carrying a shoe upper while molding a sole of elastomeric material directly to the bottom margin of said upper, said last having an open groove formed in its peripheral side surface for receiving a deformation of an upper therein, said groove being located above the plane of the sole surface of the last and along a line corresponding with the upper edge of the junction of the elastomeric material with the upper placed upon the last. 